User Generated Content - an Overview.

User Generated Content (UGC) can come many forms, and at its base is anything that a consumer or third party has created that you can share on your social media accounts or website.

It can be :

• A review or testimonial
• An image or video
• A podcast or blog post
• A social media post or comment

As an author specifically, you can generate and showcase UGC in several ways :

• Encouraging your reader community to create and share content related to your book(s).
• Highlighting and sharing UGC that aligns with your brand and its values.
• Recognising and rewarding community members for their contributions.
  • Think Facebook badges for top contributors on your Author Page.

UGC can help your marketing efforts as an author by allowing potential readers who are unfamiliar with your works the chance to see that your audience are happy to share their opinions on their own social media profiles. It can also help consumers to make their decision whether or not your book is for them - for example, if you share reviews regularly.

You should try and clearly define your goals for the content you want to generate.

These goals can be as simple as :

• Increasing brand awareness.
• Driving engagement.
• Showcasing customer testimonials.